All-Digital RF Transmitters for Next Generation Wireless Communications

This book introduces the foundations of All-Digital Transmitters (ADTs), namely Delta-Sigma Modulation and Pulse-Width Modulation and then focuses on the main research challenges and achievements that have been reported. Architectures are presented for specific cases, along with low-level diagrams and implementation figures of merit.

All-Digital RF Transmitters for Next Generation Communications presents a broad, in-depth view of the technology and the challenges it faces. The authors present a set of ideas and architectures that enable the implementation of fully digital transmitters, bringing the digital domain closer to the antenna. In each chapter the reader is presented with a set of challenges that are paired with theoretical explanations and experimental validations of how the problem was overcome. In particular, the authors begin with the analog filtering requirements from the reconstruction filter, carrier agility, architectural techniques for designing wideband and high-speed delta-sigma modulators, and concurrent multi-band capability. The book also deals with different applications where All-Digital Transmitters were integrated and inherently surpassed the state-of-the-art techniques, either in terms of innovation, Figures of Merit (FoM), or scalability. The book concludes by summarizing the major findings and providing insights into the future research lines that may be explored.

Written for RF system design engineers as well as digital signal design engineers involved in the design of radios for digital communication systems, this book could be used by professionals and post-graduate students.

Samuel Santos Pereira is a Researcher at the Instituto de Telecomunicações in Aveiro, Portugal. He earned his M.Sc. in Electrical and Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Aveiro in 2018 and completed his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at the same institution in 2024. His research focuses on all-digital transceivers, reconfigurable systems, software-defined radio, delta–sigma-based transmitters, and RF jamming techniques. Additionally, he has contributed to the development of C-RAN solutions for 5G networks and, more recently, has worked on satellite communication systems utilizing LoRa technology and microcontroller-based platforms.

Daniel C. Dinis is a Satcom Space Segment Engineer contracted by Starion at the European Space Agency in Harwell, UK, where he oversees technology and product development initiatives. He holds an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Telecommunications from the University of Aveiro (2013, 2019) and an Executive MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology (2021). With a diverse career spanning academia, research laboratories, industry, and institutional agencies, Dr. Dinis has held key roles at Instituto de Telecomunicações, Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs, Thales, Airbus Defence and Space, and All.Space.An accomplished professional, Dr. Dinis has co-authored over 20 publications, is a co-inventor of six U.S. patents, and has earned multiple awards for his contributions. He actively participates in several IEEE committees, serves on the ESA-funded SatNEx-V management team, and specializes in All-Digital Transceivers, Satcom systems, phased arrays, RF systems, and Software-Defined Radios.

Luís Filipe Almeida is a Researcher at the Instituto de Telecomunicações in Aveiro, Portugal, where he contributes to projects focused on FPGA digital design, Software-Defined Radios, and Signal Processing. He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Aveiro in 2025, building on a career closely tied to academia and research institutions since completing his M.Sc. at the same university and Instituto de Telecomunicações. Dr. Almeida has co-authored several papers in international journals and conference proceedings and is a co-inventor of a national Portuguese patent. His research interests include Software-Defined Radios, All-Digital RF Transceivers, runtime FPGA reprogramming, digital system design flexibility and reliability, and satellite communications.

Rui Fiel Cordeiro is a Senior FPGA Developer at EVS Broadcast, specializing in high-performance FPGA-based video broadcast systems. He holds a Ph.D. in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Aveiro, Portugal. His doctoral research at the Instituto de Telecomunicações focused on flexible, wideband all-digital radio transmitter architectures, with an emphasis on reconfigurable hardware, digital signal processing, RF system design, and embedded systems. Dr. Cordeiro's career includes a role as a Development Engineer at Bosch Car Multimedia, where he contributed to multi-technology radio solutions for automotive and vehicular communications. He later served as Principal Investigator at CEiiA, leading research on connectivity and positioning for sustainable mobility. Currently, at EVS Broadcast, he continues to advance cutting-edge FPGA solutions for the video broadcast industry.

Nelson V. Silva is a Lead Wireless Engineer at Altice Labs, where he focuses on developing Smart Wi-Fi solutions for Tier 1 cable and telecom operators. He earned his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Aveiro, Portugal, in 2008 and 2013, respectively. Dr. Silva has authored or co-authored three patents and over 20 papers in journals and conference proceedings. His previous research experience includes work at the Instituto de Telecomunicações in Aveiro, Portugal, on reconfigurable transmitters for software-defined radios, and at the IEETA Institute in Aveiro, Portugal, on reconfigurable embedded systems. His research interests span Wi-Fi and smart home technologies, software-defined radios, all-digital transceivers, reconfigurable hardware, embedded systems, and signal processing algorithms and architectures.

Arnaldo S. R. Oliveira is a Senior Researcher at the Telecommunications Institute and an Associate Professor at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, specializing in computer architecture, digital systems design, software-defined radio, and embedded systems. He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Aveiro in 2007. Dr. Oliveira actively contributes to several nationally and internationally funded research projects and has authored or co-authored 160 publications in journals and international conference proceedings. He is a member of IEEE, serves on multiple scientific committees for conferences, and is a regular reviewer for indexed scientific journals and magazines. His research interests focus on reconfigurable digital systems, software-defined radio, and next-generation radio access networks.

José Vieira is an Assistant Professor at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, where he also earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. In 2004, he founded the Portuguese section of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) and served as its President from 2005 to 2011. In 2010, he received the prestigious Plug Award from APRITEL for his work on the "Bio-inspired Cochlear Radio." His primary research interests include digital audio signal processing, ultrasonic location, software-defined radio, and radar systems. In May 2018, he was appointed Pro-Rector for Information Systems at the University of Aveiro.

Nuno Borges Carvalho is a Full Professor and Senior Research Scientist at the University of Aveiro and the Institute of Telecommunications, Portugal, where he also serves as the Director of the Department of Electronics, Telecommunications, and Informatics. He has coauthored several books on microwave systems, measurements, white-space communications, and wireless power, and has published over 400 research papers. Dr. Carvalho has held prominent editorial roles, including Editor-in-Chief of the Cambridge Wireless Power Transfer Journal and Associate Editor of IEEE Microwave Magazine. His research interests include software-defined radio (SDR) front-ends, backscatter communications, wireless power transfer, nonlinear distortion, and microwave measurement systems. He holds six patents and has actively contributed to IEEE MTT-S and URSI committees, serving as the 2023 IEEE MTT-S President and a Distinguished Lecturer.